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Thank God There Was No Practical Application!
This is a short video that you will find interesting if not downright humorous. There is a phrase that, to my knowledge, appears only in the King James Version of the Bible. The reason why, according to our preacher, is that the translators of other Bibles all pee sitting down. If you are confused about what you just read, watch the video.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDxcyqeRc-4&rel=]
Again, I am happy there was no practical application.
Utah Students Hide Guns, Head To Class VS. 40 Reasons To Ban Guns
I was alerted to a CNN news story about Utah College students and their right to bear arms… in a location that most other states consider “No gun zones.” It is a good story and contains comments and concerns from both sides of the gun control issue.
It reminded me of an e-mail that a friend of mine sent to me a little over a year ago. It is titled, 40 Reasons To Ban Guns. There are some really doozies here, but my favorite is number five.
40 Reasons To Ban Guns
1. Banning guns works, which is why New York, DC, Detroit & Chicago cops need guns.
2. Washington DC’s low murder rate of 69 per 100,000 is due to strict gun control, and Indianapolis’ high murder rate of 9 per 100,000 is due to the lack of gun control.
3. Statistics showing high murder rates justify gun control but statistics showing increasing murder rates after gun control are “just statistics.”
4. The Brady Bill and the Assault Weapons Ban, both of which went into effect in 1994 are responsible for the decrease in violent crime rates, which have been declining since 1991.
5. We must get rid of guns because a deranged lunatic may go on a shooting spree at any time and anyone who would own a gun out of fear of such a lunatic is paranoid.
6. The more helpless you are the safer you are from criminals.
7. An intruder will be incapacitated by tear gas or oven spray, but if shot with a .357 Magnum will get angry and kill you.
8. A woman raped and strangled is morally superior to a woman with a smoking gun and a dead rapist at her feet.
9. When confronted by violent criminals, you should “put up no defense – give them what they want, or run” (Handgun Control Inc. Chairman Pete Shields, Guns Don’t Die – People Do, 1981, p. 125).
10. The New England Journal of Medicine is filled with expert advice about guns; just like Guns & Ammo has some excellent treatises on heart surgery.
11. One should consult an automotive engineer for safer seat belts, a civil engineer for a better bridge, a surgeon for internal medicine, a computer programmer for hard drive problems, and Sarah Brady for firearms expertise.
12. The 2nd Amendment, ratified in 1787, refers to the National Guard, which was created 130 years later, in 1917.
13. The National Guard, federally funded, with bases on federal land, using federally-owned weapons, vehicles, buildings and uniforms, punishing trespassers under federal law, is a “state” militia.
14. These phrases: “right of the people peaceably to assemble,” “right of the people to be secure in their homes,” “enumerations herein of certain rights shall not be construed to disparage others retained by the people,” and “The powers not delegated herein are reserved to the states respectively, and to the people” all refer to individuals, but “the right of the people to keep and bear arms” refers to the state.
15. “The Constitution is strong and will never change.” But we should ban and seize all guns thereby violating the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Amendments to that Constitution.
16. Rifles and handguns aren’t necessary to national defense! Of course, the army has hundreds of thousands of them.
17. Private citizens shouldn’t have handguns, because they aren’t “military weapons”, but private citizens shouldn’t have “assault rifles”, because they are military weapons.
18. In spite of waiting periods, background checks, fingerprinting, government forms, etc., guns today are too readily available, which is responsible for recent school shootings. In the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s, anyone could buy guns at hardware stores, army surplus stores, gas stations, variety stores, Sears mail order, no waiting, no background check, no fingerprints, no government forms and there were no school shootings.
19. The NRA’s attempt to run a “don’t touch” campaign about kids handling guns is propaganda, but the anti-gun lobby’s attempt to run a “don’t touch” campaign is responsible social activity.
20. Guns are so complex that special training is necessary to use them properly, and so simple to use that they make murder easy.
21. A handgun, with up to 4 controls, is far too complex for the typical adult to learn to use, as opposed to an automobile that only has 20.
22. Women are just as intelligent and capable as men but a woman with a gun is “an accident waiting to happen” and gun makers’ advertisements aimed at women are “preying on their fears.”
23. Ordinary people in the presence of guns turn into slaughtering butchers but revert to normal when the weapon is removed.
24. Guns cause violence, which is why there are so many mass killings at gun shows.
25. A majority of the population supports gun control, just like a majority of the population supported owning slaves.
26. Any self-loading small arm can legitimately be considered to be a “weapon of mass destruction” or an “assault weapon.”
27. Most people can’t be trusted, so we should have laws against guns, which most people will abide by because they can be trusted.
28. The right of Internet pornographers to exist cannot be questioned because it is constitutionally protected by the Bill of Rights, but the use of handguns for self defense is not really protected by the Bill of Rights.
29. Free speech entitles one to own newspapers, transmitters, computers, and typewriters, but self- defense only justifies bare hands.
30. The ACLU is good because it uncompromisingly defends certain parts of the Constitution, and the NRA is bad, because it defends other parts of the Constitution.
31. Charlton Heston, a movie actor as president of the NRA is a cheap lunatic who should be ignored, but Michael Douglas, a movie actor as a representative of Handgun Control, Inc. is an ambassador for peace who is entitled to an audience at the UN arms control summit.
32. Police operate with backup within groups, which is why they need larger capacity pistol magazines than do “civilians” who must face criminals alone and therefore need less ammunition.
33. We should ban “Saturday Night Specials” and other inexpensive guns because it’s not fair that poor people have access to guns too.
34. Police officers have some special Jedi-like mastery over handguns that private citizens can never hope to obtain.
35. Private citizens don’t need a gun for self- protection because the police are there to protect them even though the Supreme Court says the police are not responsible for their protection.
36. Citizens don’t need to carry a gun for personal protection but police chiefs, who are desk-bound administrators who work in a building filled with cops, need a gun.
37. “Assault weapons” have no purpose other than to kill large numbers of people. The police need assault weapons. You do not.
38. When Microsoft pressures its distributors to give Microsoft preferential promotion, that’s bad; but when the Federal government pressures cities to buy guns only from Smith & Wesson, that’s good.
39. Trigger locks do not interfere with the ability to use a gun for defensive purposes, which is why you see police officers with one on their duty weapon.
40. Handgun Control, Inc., says they want to “keep guns out of the wrong hands.” Guess what? You have the wrong hands.
Much Needed Web Site Overhaul
As you’ve probably noticed, we’ve had some light blogging recently. I want to explain what is going on so that you don’t feel like I’m neglecting you.
I have been working with a website builder and we are finally going to completely re-create our web site. The concept I have in mind is a pretty unique one and I hope it all comes together the way I envision. We are going to have three web sites connected to each other, all built with the same basic template. The three main addresses will be EvidenceMinistries.org, HappyXWitness.com and HappyXMormon.com. The color scheme will be different for each site so as not to confuse visitors as to which site they are currently viewing.
We are still working on the template and almost have it completed. Next we will work on keeping the navigation simple so it easy to find whatever information is desired. We also want it to be easy to add new information in the future. This is the hard part. We have to have enough foresight so that we do not run into any navigation issues as we add new content.
Please pray for God to help us through the process. We are excited about our final product and look forward to revealing it in the near future.
Hilary Clinton Visits San Antonio Today
Hilary Clinton will be in San Antonio today so I thought it appropriate to post a picture that one of my friends sent me.
Thanks to Deadeye Steve for the picture.
From The Jewel Box # 20
Here is a deep thought from our daughter from a couple of years ago.
12/29/06
“When I dream, I imaginate things that are pretend.”
Wow, man. That’s, like, philosophical….
*******
Important note: We will not reveal the names of our children on this blog. Any comment that mentions our children’s names will be deleted. It is nothing personal, we just feel that it is an important safety measure for our family. If you would like to read the other FTJB entries, click on the “From the Jewel Box” link in the side bar on the right or on the Jewel Box icon at the end of this paragraph. Come on parents! Feel free to share special jewels from your precious children. Just know that on this blog, our kids are the cutest! 
Webcam Pictures!
I have had a rough couple of days with Dell on tech support. We bought a new laptop months ago that came with a built in video camera and microphone. I have never used the webcam aside from a few phone calls when I used Skype while in Moldova last year. The webcam has its own Dell software, but I have never used it.
I have plans to use the webcam for some future projects on our Youtube channel so I need to know how to use the software. I started messing with it on Tuesday and have had a nightmare trying to figure it out. I can usually figure stuff out like this, but this was just not working. I really don’t like to have to call tech support because I know it is going to be a time commitment. I got tired of looking online for a solution so I called tech support.
If someone from Dell is reading this, I want you to know that I absolutely HATE trying to explain my computer problems to someone whose primary language is anything but English. It is difficult enough trying to understand someone on long distance, but if you add a thick, heavy accent, forget it. It is near impossible trying to communicate.
To make an extremely looooong story short, after two days and countless hours (<— no joke) on the phone, the webcam finally works. I decided to take a few minutes of well earned play time and mess with some of the features on the webcam. I'll let you decide whether or not the time was well spent.
[slideshow id=72057594049631816&w=400&h=320]
National Sex Offender Registry
A couple of years ago we received a postcard in the mail informing us that a sex offender had moved into our neighborhood. There was a picture of the man and a list of the crimes he had committed. Our neighborhood was abuzz and parents made sure their children knew what he looked like and to stay away from his house.
I am sure that most of the families in the area have forgotten what he looks like if not the fact that he still lives in our neighborhood. The National Sex Offender Registry is a very useful web site that will show you where sex offenders live in your neighborhood. All you have to do is type in your zip code and a map will come up showing you the work and home locations of those convicted of offenses against children, rape, sexual battery and other offenses.
Not only that, but if you click on the work or home location, a picture of the criminal will pop up along with his/her description, address and a list of their offenses. I just re-checked our neighborhood and noticed another offender less than a mile from our home. We were never informed about this guy. At this time, there are three sex offenders less than two miles from our home.
We live in a nice neighborhood. You just might want to check yours too.
Mormon Prophet Dies
The very first e-mail I saw this morning was an announcement that Gordon B. Hinckley had died. I can honestly say that I was saddened by this news. Even though I am an most outspoken critic of Mormonism, I realize that there is more to Hinckley’s death than religious news. He was a man with family, friends and followers. I feel for them and pray that God will use Hinckley’s death to draw them to Jesus.
For those who look at this as an opportunity to kick Mormons while they are down, please just take the day off. There isn’t anything you can say with that attitude that will help them. Just offer your heartfelt condolences and let the Mormons heal. If you don’t have any heartfelt condolences, then at least wait to talk to them once they have grieved. If you love the Mormons, and you should, then that is the very least you can do.
You can read more about Hinckley here.
Hey, Allah! Does This Count?
I stumbled across an interesting article this morning. You can read the whole story here, but let me just quote one statement I found interesting.
A WOULD-be suicide bomber fell down a flight of stairs and blew himself up as he headed out for an attack in Afghanistan, police say.
Wow, this guy, with visions of glory, headed out to do Allah’s will and blew himself up because he tripped down the stairs. He didn’t get to his intended target and killed only himself. Three other people were wounded, but no one else died.
Suicide bombers are taught that if they die killing infidels in Jihad, then they will be granted the reward of living in paradise with 70 some odd virgins. I am not one to make light of the death of someone else. Truth be told, I even hesitated to write this entry at all, but I’ve got a few questions with how this situation fits into Islam. What are the repercussions and will this guy be rewarded? With this in mind, here are some of my questions;
1) Is the road to paradise paved with good intentions?
2) Was it the destiny of the terrorist to die a clumsy idiot?
3) Was it the will of Allah for this guy to trip and fail his mission?
and lastly,
4) Does it count?
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